Strand serving device



M 4 Z A Wfim o I L R w R June 13, 1933. R. L. RICE STRAND SERVINGDEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1950 Patented June 13, 1933 'EE STATES PATENT OFFICE T RICHARD L. RICE, F FANWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COM- PANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK STRAND SERVING DEVICE Application. filed August 8, 1930. Serial No. 473,878.

This invention relates to strand serving devices and more particularly to devices for serving a plurality of strands upon an object.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for serving strand material which will be simple and sturdy in construction and safe and eflicient in operation.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, primarily intended for use in the manufacture of armored cable for underground transmission of intelligence electrically, a head for serving metal tape upon a continu ously moving cable includes an elongated tubular member through which the cable passes before being served, and a trunnion which is transversely mounted thereon. The tubular member is axially rotatable and suitably driven, and two concentric pads of the tape rotatably mounted on either end of the trunnion are thereby bodily-rotated about the cable to serve two strands of tape spirally thereon in alternate relation. Brakes mounted on the trunion control the tension in the tapes as they are served and adjustable pulleys are provided on the tubular member adjacent the point of application of the tapes for controlling the lay thereof.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, read in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a serving apparatus embodying the features of the invention; i

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof as seen from the right in Fig. 1; and N Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, in which similar parts are indicated by identical reference numerals, a serving apparatus, generally designated by the numeral 10, is provided for the distribution of tape strands 11 and 12, respectively, upon a continuously moving article or cable 13. A cylindrical block or trunnion 14, for accommodating the article, is provided with a transverse axial aperture 15 in which is secured an elongated tube 16 through which passes the moving cable 13, and which is of a sufiiciently large diameter to permit it to accommodate cables of any of the usual sizes. At the left side thereof as viewed in Fig. 1 the tube 16 is supported in a stationary column 18 which is suitably apertured to contain a bearing 19 through which the tube extends. I

The tube is rotated about the cable 13 in order to distribute the tapes l1 and 12 thereon, and for that purpose is caused to extend beyond the column 18, the extending portion being fitted with a drive gear 20, which may be operated from any suitable source of power. At the opposite end, the tube is provided with an enlarged bell-shaped portion 22, a rim 23 of which is provided with a peripheral depression 24. An auxiliary supporting casting 26 is positioned beneath the bell-shaped portion and is provided with oppositely disposed ears 2727 in each of which is pivotally supported an idler roller 28. It will be understood that the rollers 28-28 ride in the peripheral depression 24 of the bell-shaped portion, thus providing an additional bearing for the rotatable tube 16.

The trunnion 14 is provided at each end with a peripheral recess 30, in which, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, is rotatably mounted a centrally apertured disc 31, having an outer flange 32 upon which is stored a pad of tape 34. It will be noted that the aperture of the disc is only sufiiciently large for the disc to be received in the depression of the trunnion and to be readily rotatable therein, the trunnion serving as a concentric axle for the two tape pads 3434. A centrally apertured disc 35 is fitted over each flange 32 in order to hold the oppositely disposed pads securely on the trunnion during the relatively rapid rotation which it experiences in normal operation, and tocon-' stitute a supporting wall for the tape. A circular guard or retaining plate 36 is secured by bolts 38 or other suitable readily detachable means to each end surface of the trunnion 14, the plate projecting therebeyond sufficiently to engage the outer surface of the second disc 35, without, however, deterring its rotation with the pad. A flange or brake drum 39 is formed on the inner side of each disc 31, being engaged by a band or other suitable braking means 40, which is adjustable in order to permlt the speed of rotation of the pads with respect to the trunnion to be varied to control the tension in the tapes being drawn therefrom. The foregoing comprises a mounting for a supply of two strands of tape, the assemblies on each end of the trunnion being identical, as will be noted in the drawing and particularly in Fig. 3.

Extending between the pads 3434 and parallel therewith, and adjacent the bearing column 18, is a pair of arms 43, which arms extend at right angles from opposite points in the periphery of the tubular member 16. Each of the arms carries at its outer extremity a fixed shaft 46, which projects outwardly perpendicularly from the plane of the arms a sufficient distance to permit an idler pulley 47 rotatably mounted thereon to align with one of the pads 34. As shown in Fig. 2, one such pulley projects to one side of the machine, to be aligned with one of the pads 84, and the other projects in a diametrically opposite direction from the extremity of the opposite arm to be aligned with the other pad 34. This arrangement permits the tapes to be initially drawn from the revolving pads in a straight line, and thereby eliminates binding between the edges of the tape and the inner surfaces of the discs 31 and 35.

A similar pair of diametrically oppositely extending arms 48 is mounted on the tube between the trunnion and the bell-shaped portion 22, so as to be parallel with the tape pads. Each arm carries at its extremity a bracket 50 having an aperture 51 in which is mounted a pin 52. A pulley 54 is rotatably mounted upon the pin which together with'the bracket 50 is pivotally adjustable in order that the position of the pulley may be varied to lead the tape 11 or 12, as the case may be, from the fixed pulley 47 toward the bell-shaped portion 22 without twisting or creasing the tape. The bell-shaped portion is provided with an aperture 55 at each of two diametrically opposed points corresponding with the arms 48, to permit the passage of the tapes from the adjustable pulleys 54 toward the point at which it is desired that they be applied to the core or cable 13. Within the bell-shaped portion and respectively adjacent the apertures 55 are provided two diametrically opposed brackets 5656 in each of which is pivotally mounted an idler pulley 58. It will be understood that the purpose of the idler pulleys SSS-58 is to control the lay of the tapes on the cable and to this end the pulleys are of such a type as to be readily adjustable.

In operation, the cable is drawn through the tube from left to right, as shown in Fig. l, by any suitable capstan device (not shown) which for convenience might be actuated by the same mechanism which actuates the drive gear 20; because it may be desirable, in order to bring about the application of the tape to the cable in the proper manner, to coordinate the speed of revolution of the serving head with the linear speed of the cable. When the elements of the serving mechanism are disposed as described and shown, the ends of the tapes 11 and 12 are intially applied to the cable in the desired alternate relationship, as, for example, with the tape 11 first engaging the cable, and the tape 12 being partially superposed upon the tape 11, but in staggered or alternate partially overlapping relationship therewith so that it also partially engages the cable adjacent the tape 11. The pulleys 58 are then adjusted to the proper angle to insure the directing of the tape on the cable to give the desired lay, and the serving is commenced, the serving head being rotated in a clockwise direction to continuously apply the tapes to the cable as the latter is being drawn therethrough.

The cable in its movement draws the tapes l1 and 12 over the pairs of pulleys 47 and 50 and the tapes are unwound from the material supply means or pads, thereby rotating the pads simultaneously in opposite directions, as viewed in Fig. 1, around the trunnion, the axes of individual rotation of the pads being perpendicular to the axis of the cable and the axes of rotation of the tube and the trunnion, and coincident with the longitudinal axis of the trunnion. Simul taneously, of course, the pads are rotated by the tube around the cable in order that the tape strands might be wrapped about the cable as described above.

Proper application of the tapes to the cable requires that considerable tension be imposed in the tapes in passing from the pads to the cable. This tension, which is variable, depending, for instance, upon the speed of the operation or the size of the tape, is imposed by means of the brakes 4040 upon the disc drums 39-39, the brakes being mounted and braced by the lugs 4242 of the trunnion.

From the foregoing it may be observed that the pads are concentrically mounted upon the trunnion as near to the center of rotation thereof as the elongated tube 16 between the pads permits. By thus mounting the pads in parallel relation it is made possible to mount them immediately adjacent to the elongated tube and a serving head operable at high speeds for two heavy rotating pads of metal tape is thereby pro duced, thus permitting the application of metal tape at a much higher rate of speed than it has been possible to safely obtain heretofore.

Another advantage of the apparatus, con

sists in the construction of the trunnion and pad assembles, including the easily detachable guard plates 36, by means of which the supply of tape for the machine may be easily and expeditiously replenished without interfering with the opposite supply pad and the tape being fed therefrom. Accordingly a light weight though sturdy apparatus is afforded and the necessity for mounting supply magazines on the machine is obviated.

WVhat is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for serving cable and the like with metal tape, an elongated tube through which the cable passes and mounted in bearings at each end for rotation about the cable, tape supply means mounted on the tube and rotatable therewith, arms carried in the same plane by the tube in diametrically opposed relation, substantially parallel to the tape supply means and adj acent to the opposite ends of the tube, tape guiding pulleys carried by the arms, adjustable tape guiding pulleys mounted at one end of the tube, the tape path defined by a set of pulleys having all its directional changes in the same angular direction.

2. In an apparatus for serving cable and the like with metal tape, an elongated tube through which the cable passes and mounted in bearings at each end for rotation about the cable, an enlarged portion at one end of the tube, circular tape supply means mounted on the tube and rotatable therewith, arms carried by the tube in diametrically opposed relation, substantially parallel to the tape supply means, and adjacent to the ends of the tube, tape guiding pulleys carried by the arms, adjustable tape guiding pulleys mounted in the enlarged portion of the tube, the curvature of a tape on the supply means, the curvature of the tape around the cable, and the curvature in the tape path defined by a set of pulleys being in the same angular direction relative to a surface of the tape.

3. In an apparatus for serving cable and the like with metal tape, an elongated tube through which the cable passes having one end thereof concentrically enlarged and mounted in bearings at each end for rotation about the cable, tape supply means mounted on the tube and rotatable therewith, tape guiding means for guiding the tape to the enlarged portion of the tube, means for carrying the tape guiding meansmounted in a plane coincident with the axis of rotation with the tube, and adjustable tape guiding means mounted within the tube in the enlarged portion thereof for rotation therewith, the tape guiding means comprising idler pulleys positioned to define a path for each tape corresponding substantially to the curvature of the tape contained on the supply means and confining the changes in the path to one angular direction.

4. In an apparatus for serving cable and the like with a metal tape, an elongated rotatable tube through which the cable passes,

an enlarged combined housing and journal member formed on an end of the tube in axial alignment therewith, bearings in which the tube rotates including a bearing coacting with the combined housing and journal member, tape supply means mounted on and rotatable with the tube, tape guiding means disposed concentrically relative to the axis of rotation of the tape supply means for guiding the tape to the housing member, means mounted on the tube with its axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation with the tube for carrying the tape guiding means, and adjustable tape guiding means a secured within the combined housing and journal member, the tape guiding means defining a path for each tape corresponding substantially to the curvature of the tape contained on the supply means and confining the changes in the paths to one angular direction.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of July A. D., 1930.

RICHARD L. RICE. 

